Welcome to the Treehouse Community

Want to collaborate on code errors? Have bugs you need feedback on? Looking for an extra set of eyes on your latest project? Get support with fellow developers, designers, and programmers of all backgrounds and skill levels here with the Treehouse Community! While you're at it, check out some resources Treehouse students have shared here.

Looking to learn something new?

Treehouse offers a seven day free trial for new students. Get access to thousands of hours of content and join thousands of Treehouse students and alumni in the community today.

Start your free trial

Digital Literacy How the Internet Works The Internet Connecting to the Internet

Ivan Kusakovic
Ivan Kusakovic
12,197 Points

Why is not equal distribution of Internet?

Why information are not accessible in some countries?

7 Answers

Nathan Tallack
Nathan Tallack
22,159 Points

Censorship mostly. Copyright sometimes.

Each country has a sovereign right to enforce laws that control the distribution of content. As a result some things are not available in some places due to that country's government not allowing it to be available to its citizens. For example, some countries block YouTube due to the some content causing offence and breaking laws. Likewise for Facebook etc.

For copyright, sometimes some content on some sites has licenses that cover some countries but not others. For example, PBS (a television network) may have license to deliver some content online to someone in the USA or Canada but not to someone in the UK.

Ivan Kusakovic
Ivan Kusakovic
12,197 Points

Thanks for fast answer Nathan. Do you think that in future is all content be more free and equally distributed, or you don't think so?

Nathan Tallack
Nathan Tallack
22,159 Points

For the second one, copyright, yes. The copyright laws and the content distributors (television networks, movie studios, record labels, etc.) will eventually work out there is one global economy for online consumption of their content and they will change. No idea when it will happen, but it is almost certain it will.

For the first one, censorship, no. You must understand that different peoples have different ideals and moral frameworks. What one country considers offensive may be totally different to what another country does. Most people accept the censorship of the country they live in because it is aligned with their own ideological and moral frameworks. Those who don't (there are always exceptions to the social norms) that will not conform do often emigrate away where possible or illegally consume where not.

I have lived and worked in countries that are both very strict and very lenient with online censorship. 99% of the time I never see it, regardless. The best censorship is invisible to the user. Take for example, rather than blocking Facebook completely like some countries do others inline filter the content they don't want their citizens to see. So most of the time the citizens don't even know they are being shown content dynamically modified by transparent proxies between their internet connection and the international internet.

I hope this helps you understand a little better. :)

Ivan Kusakovic
Ivan Kusakovic
12,197 Points

Everything clear now :) Thanks for answer, right man in right time! :)

There are some countries that wish to control the media that their citizens receive.

I'd like to take a moment and thank mister Nathan Tallack for the answer. I'd never thought of it. Thank you, sir !

Interesting topic... don't forget countries like Turkey, North Korea, and China to name a few use censorship to control "undesired" information reach masses.

Sam Gutierrez
Sam Gutierrez
6,791 Points

I don't believe it is just an issue of copyrights or censorship but actual physical resources. Many impoverished countries/regions are still implementing strategies to make clean water readily available. To these area, the internet is not even on their radar. As mentioned, a home requires either an ISP infrastructure in place and/or ability to connect to internet via satellite/cable which is much more of a stumbling block when your entire wages goes for necessities (food, water, transportation)